Hangout with CERN : a direct conversation with the public

Hangout with CERN refers to a weekly, half-hour-long, topical webcast hosted at CERN. The aim of the programme is threefold: (i) to provide a virtual tour of various locations and facilities at CERN, (ii) to discuss the latest scientific results from the laboratory, and, most importantly, (iii) to engage in conversation with the public and answer their questions. For each “episode”, scientists gather around webcam-enabled computers at CERN and partner institutes/universities, connecting to one another using the Google+ social network's “Hangouts” tool. The show is structured as a conversation mediated by a host, usually a scientist, and viewers can ask questions to the experts in real time through a Twitter hashtag or YouTube comments.